All In a Week's Work?
by Raptora
Summary: Yandere-Chan is getting carried away with doing what she's good at. Will this bring the students of Akademi High School closer to one another? Budo Masuta X Saki Miyu (Unconventional ship, I know, I want to see where I can go with this ;) ) Hope you enjoy!
1. Monday

"Senpai is mine…"

Osana Najimi's blood turned to ice as a gloved hand reached over her shoulder from behind, pressing the cold blade of a kitchen knife against her throat. Osana was known at school for her strong, assertive personality, but her voice wavered with fear as she spoke to the individual holding her at knifepoint.

"What do you want from me?"

"All I want, is my Senpai…"

The voice from behind was a female one, monotonous and barely above a whisper.

"What? I have no idea what you're talking about. Please, just let me go!" Osana pleaded in exasperation.

"As long as you're around, I can't have him."

*SLASH*

A stream of blood poured from Osana's throat and quickly formed a small pool on the ground, which her lifeless corpse was then dropped into. Above her stood Ayano Aishi, the blood-stained kitchen knife in her hand. A grin formed on Ayano's face before she chuckled slightly, admiring her handiwork.

"How could you?! You won't get away with this!"

Ayano suddenly felt someone firmly grab her wrist – the one with her hand holding the knife. She recognised the student as she tried to fight him off. It was Budo Masuta, the president the Martial Arts club. Panic struck Ayano – there was no way she could win in this little struggle. It wasn't long before he overpowered her, twisting her arm behind her back and pinning her to the floor. Ayano struggled against his grip, but to no avail.

"No, no! Let me go!" She exclaimed.

"No way, you murderer!" Budo snapped. "Someone like you needs to be thrown in prison!"

Ayano cursed her bad luck. She had followed Osana to a secluded part of the school to carry out her plan, but didn't factor that a hero might pass by and ruin everything. Her plot had failed. She was going to get arrested, and that meant she would never have a chance to win her Senpai's love. The thought of losing the only thing that mattered to her made her angry, it made her blood boil, and she felt the rage building up inside of her…

Ayano herself had no idea what she would have done, if all that rage hadn't been replaced with confusion as Budo's unconscious body collapsed to the ground beside her. Hearing running footsteps, she quickly picked herself up and looked in the direction from which it came, but whoever it was had disappeared round the corner. Her phone then chimed and she removed one of her gloves before pulling it out to read a text.

 _"You're getting a little careless. You're just fortunate that I found you on time. You might not be so lucky the next time."_

Ayano looked around the scene. Budo wasn't dead, so Info-Chan must have gotten her hands on some tranquilizer. She couldn't find a syringe anywhere too. Her mysterious provider must have taken the evidence with her. Ayano sighed in relief. There was only one thing left to do. She picked the knife up with her gloved hand and crouched over the martial arts master, intending to end his life right there and then. However, she decided against it just as she was about to plunge the knife into him. Budo might just be of some use to her, and besides, nobody would believe that Kokona Haruka had taken him on by herself after killing Osana.

Ayano dropped the knife behind a nearby trashcan, making it easy enough to find, but not suspiciously easy. She would chuck the gloves in the incinerator after deciding what to do with the unconscious martial arts master.

* * *

"How could you?! Osana was my best friend! How could you take her away from me? You're scum, Kokona! You're absolute scum!"

A crowd of students were gathered at the school gates, watching Kokona Haruka get arrested. Taro Yamada was at the front of the crowd, making it clear to her how hurt he was at her supposed betrayal. Kokona was his classmate and friend. He was astonished and disgusted that she could, and would, actually commit murder, and that she would especially kill someone he was so close to.

Tears streamed down Kokona's face as the police dragged her away. "Taro, no! Please, I had nothing to do with it! You have to believe me, Taro!"

Taro just shook his head, tears threatening to spill from his own eyes. He was seething and his jaw was clenched in anger and resentment towards his former friend. He then turned around sharply and strode away through the crowd of students who instinctively parted and cleared a path for him, knowing how enraged and devastated he was at that moment.

Ayano stood among that crowd, hiding the smirk on her face. Her phone then chimed again.

 _"Good work, but I can't let you have all the credit. You'd have been the one getting dragged away by the police if I hadn't been there ;)"_

* * *

"Ar- are you alright? Wake up… please… wake up!"

Budo opened his eyes to find himself restrained to a chair by rope. He then turned to the cyan-haired girl who had spoken. She too, was tied to a chair, and had cuts and bruises on her face, arms and legs. She was wearing the uniform of his school, and he immediately recognised her.

"You're… Saki Miyu, that girl who disappeared last week!" He then looked around at the place they were in, which appeared to be a basement of some sort. "Where are we?"

Saki replied in a weak voice. "That girl from school… Ayano… she brought us down here. This… must be her home. She- she's insane, Budo. That is… your name, isn't it? I recognise you too."

Budo nodded. "Yes, and I know she is. I- saw her murder someone in cold blood. I tried to apprehend her, but…"

Saki's eyes widened in fear. "No… oh no… she's already done it. She told me what she was going to do. Osana Najimi… is dead?"

Budo let out a sigh. "I'm afraid so, but… why is Ayano doing this?"

Saki took a deep breath. "Ayano is obsessed with this guy at our school named Taro Yamada. She somehow found out that both Osana and my best friend, Kokona Haruka, were interested in him too and planned to get rid of the both of them at once. When she discovered that Kokona was in the Cooking club, she followed her after school so that she could use a knife with Kokona's fingerprints on it to kill Osana and frame Kokona for the murder."

Budo listened in stunned silence, shocked at how many of his classmates were involved in this mess. He saw Kokona, Osana and Taro in class every day, and never knew what was going on.

Saki was sobbing as she continued. "I noticed Ayano stalking Kokona last week, and when I confronted her privately, she- she knocked me out and took me down here. Kokona has probably been arrested by now… Poor Kokona! I- I can't believe this!"

Budo gave her sympathetic look. "Saki… Saki please, just calm down…"

Saki shook her head. "You don't understand! Ayano's a monster, she-"

Saki cut herself off as footsteps were heard coming down the stairs to where they were.

"Saki, Saki, Saki…" Ayano began with mock disappointment. "I bring you a friend to keep you company, and you call me a monster in return…"

Ayano approached Saki, pulling out a small pocket knife. "Looks like you need to be taught a lesson…"

Saki trembled as Ayano came closer. "No, what are you doing?! Not again! Stay away! No!"

"Don't do this, Ayano! Please, leave her alone!" Budo watched helplessly, deeply resenting the fact that he could do nothing for the poor girl.

Ayano's laughter echoed throughout the basement, followed by Saki's screams.


	2. Tuesday

(Just a little warning: This part contains references to an issue that may be sensitive for some.  
I also want to thank a couple of you for your positive, encouraging reviews on my first chapter. This is my first fiction on this site, so I really appreciate them :D One of you seem pretty mad though... *gulp* so uh, I'll just vanish for now, until the next update then!)

* * *

"I just can't believe what happened yesterday," Shima Shita said to Juku Ren as they both entered the Martial Arts clubroom. "Kokona always seemed like such a sweet person. I even remember her helping me find my class on my first day of school."

"You know what? I heard that it was all over Taro Yamada," Juku told his companion in a softer tone.

Shima's eyes widened. "Wow, that is so messed up."

"Hey."

The both of them turned to Sho Kunin as he walked in and greeted them. "Have either of you heard any word from Budo? I didn't see him come to school today."

Juku and Shima gave each other puzzled looks before shaking their heads.

"Is he unwell?" Juku suggested.

"He would have informed us if he wasn't coming," Sho replied. "I've been trying to reach him on his cell phone but he hasn't picked up once today."

"Bad news, everyone," Mina Rai announced curtly, striding into the clubroom. "Budo has been reported missing since last night."

Gasps erupted from the group of martial artists. "What?!"

Expecting such a reaction from them, Mina continued. "Taro told me that the teacher announced it during their class this morning."

Sho raised an eyebrow at her. "You spoke to Taro Yamada?"

A look of concern crossed Shima's face. "Oh yes, the poor thing. How is he?"

"He's still really down," Mina answered. "I don't blame him though, after what happened."

"Not that it's helping that the atmosphere at this school just seems to be getting worse," Sho added gravely. "First Saki Miyu goes missing, and now Budo too?"

Suddenly, the group could faintly hear a long scream coming from just outside the building, right before the sound of a crash, as if something of significant weight had plummeted to the ground.

They all shot one another looks of alarm. "What was that?!"

"We should check it out, come on!"

A moment later, the Martial Arts team was racing down the stairs and out the back door. They then stopped in horror at the sight of Oka Ruto lying on the grass in a pool of blood. A few other students had already gathered around the scene, murmuring among themselves. Mina and Sho cautiously approached the body.

"Mina, her shoes are missing…" Sho pointed out.

Mina gasped. "She… jumped?"

Juku then came up behind them. "W- we need to get a teacher over here, now…"

* * *

Budo worriedly watched Saki as she quietly cried. Her body was shaking, and he knew that her mind was in danger of slipping. The resentment he felt for Ayano was indescribable, knowing that it was her constant torturing that was doing this to Saki.

"I- I can't take this anymore… Why is she doing this t- to me? I wish she would just kill me already…"

Budo shook his head after hearing that. He had to get her to hold on to her sanity.

"Saki, no. Look at me, Saki," he spoke to her, trying to sound confident.

Saki whimpered, keeping her head down.

"Saki… look at me," he repeated.

Saki slowly lifted her head, and their eyes met. Hers were red from all the crying.

"You have to be strong, alright? You can't give in to Ayano. Think about Kokona. She wouldn't want you to give up now. I don't want you to. I'm here for you, Saki."

"Why hello there, my dear friends. Did you two miss me?"

Ayano swaggered down the stairs before casually leaning against the wall. She flashed her captives a seemingly warm, playful smile. "How was your day? Mine has been adequately, um, productive..."

"What… did you do… Ayano?" Budo demanded in a cautious tone.

Ayano giggled. "Me? Oh come on, Oka Ruto was a rather troubled girl after all…"

Saki looked up at her in shock. "Y- You… oh no… no, no… you can't, you can't do this!"

"Oh Saki, you still don't get it, do you?"

Ayano's grin disappeared as she slowly walked over to Saki. A sharp slap resounded through the basement.

"Only one thing matters!" She snapped at the sobbing girl.

"Ayano!" Budo seethed in rage at that gesture. She did not just do that! Did she also just admit to killing someone else? At that point, he simply wished for nothing more than to be free to give the lowlife what she deserved. "You're despicable!"

Ayano turned to Budo and leaned in towards him, her smile returning. "I like how much fire you have in you. I look forward to snuffing it out!"

"You're wasting your time," he spat. "You'll have to kill me before I let you break me."

Ayano chuckled, swiftly unfolding her pocket knife in front of his face. "Kill you? Oh, you'll be begging me to do that very soon…"

"Ayano… no!" Saki exclaimed, furiously shaking her head. "Isn't hurting me enough? D- Don't do this to anyone else! Please!"

Ayano kept her attention on Budo as she responded to Saki's plea. "Relax, my dear. You should be thankful that I'm giving you a break tonight."

*STAB*

Budo flinched, letting a short hiss escape his lips as the knife pierced his leg. He suppressed a cry of pain, glaring defiantly at Ayano.

Ayano only laughed again. "This is going to be fun. Let's see how long you can hold out."

Saki could only look away as the nightmare continued to play out in front of her. Knowing that someone else was going through what she did was another kind of torture altogether, especially if that someone was the only friendly face she had seen in days. He was right though – she couldn't give up, and if he wasn't going down without a fight, then neither was she.


	3. Wednesday

(I want to thank you guys for all the encouraging reviews once again, glad you're enjoying this and hope I don't disappoint.)

* * *

Every day after class, Pippi Osu and Ryuto Ippongo would make their way to the school's computer lab to spend a couple of hours unwinding with some computer games. They would usually be discussing strategies or bragging to each other about which high score they've beaten. This time however, the mood was bleak as they instead discussed recent events.

"Class just isn't the same anymore," Pippi began. "It's ridiculous, we now have four vacant desks, and there are flowers on two of them."

"I know right?" Ryuto agreed. "Oka jumping was a real shock too. She even left a note before that. The girls who usually hang out on the roof were the first to find it beside her shoes when they went up there yesterday."

"Well, few people even knew what was going on in that girl's head anyway," said Pippi, before diverting into the ladies' room as they passed it. "You go ahead to the lab first, I need the restroom."

Ryuto nodded and continued straight ahead. However, he had barely taken two steps when he heard Pippi's scream coming from the restroom. He spun on his heel to see her dashing out of there towards him. She grabbed onto him, burying her face in his shoulder. He immediately put a comforting arm around her.

"Ryuto! The- there's a dead girl in there! I think sh- she's from our club…"

"What?!"

At an angle, Ryuto could see part of a stiff corpse covered in burn marks lying on the ground through the restroom's entrance. He held on tighter to Pippi, rather traumatized by the sight himself.

"Was it… an accident?"

"I- I don't know!" Replied Pippi, clearly still very upset. "Why do these things keep happening?!"

Ryuto took a deep breath. "L- Let's get out of here…"

* * *

The police were soon called after a teacher discovered the charred body in the restroom. It appeared as if the dead student, identified as Midori Gurin, had attempted to operate the light switch of the restroom after its wall plate had been removed, resulting in her electrocution. Unable to find the one responsible and conclude if it was deliberate murder, the police ended the investigation and the students were released from school.

As Shima left with her club members, the morning's events that took place in her class played in her head.

 _"I'm telling you guys! I was the first one on the roof yesterday, and I saw her coming from the corner where we found Oka's shoes and running towards the opposite stairway," Midori's classmates gave her and one another weary looks as she babbled on. "I don't know her name, but I'm sure she was the same girl I saw being weird around Osana on Monday."_

 _"Seriously, Midori? You shouldn't be stirring stuff up by saying these things," said Haruto Yuto._

 _"Yeah, and besides, it's already been confirmed that Kokona was the one who murdered Osana," Yui Rio added._

 _"I know, I know…" Midori groaned. "I forgot all about that girl after Kokona's arrest, but I just found it strange after I saw her again on the roof."_

 _From past experiences, Midori's classmates have known her to be someone who loved to just talk, regardless of whether she made any sense or not, so it was no surprise that they didn't take her seriously and just assumed that she just wanted to be part of the recent happenings._

 _"Oh come on, you believe me, right Shima?"_

 _Shima sighed. "Midori, I- I don't know…"_

"Why her, of all people?" Shima asked herself with a troubled expression.

"Hey, I know Midori was your classmate. I'm sorry," Juku said to her.

Shima looked around at her team. "Midori wouldn't shut up this morning about how she suspected that there's another girl involved in the recent deaths in our school. Isn't it strange that she died right after school today?"

The rest of them glanced at one another, wide-eyed.

"So, does that mean she was actually killed after all?" Sho asked.

Shima nodded, a look of remorse crossing her face. "It's very likely. I wish we had believed her."

"Whoever it was would have murdered her either way, Shima," Mina said to ease her guilt. "But yes, this is definitely strange. Who is this person and what is her motive?"

Juku looked confused. "Hang on, so Oka Ruto didn't jump? But it really did seem like it."

"Would anyone even know why she would jump in the first place?" Sho enquired. "I heard that the note she left was well-written, but very vague."

"Wasn't she the president of her own club? Maybe we can get some information before we draw any conclusions. We'll probably be able to find some of the ex-members around school though the club has been disbanded," Mina suggested. She then let out a sigh, her eyes downcast. "This makes me fear for our own club. I mean, if they don't find Budo soon…"

The rest of the team echoed her mood.

"As much as I don't want to think about it, I must agree that anything might have happened," Sho grimly added.

Shima nearly began to tear up. "What? No, I don't believe it! Budo can't be… He'll come back… right?"

"I'm sorry, but it's a possibility we need to consider," Mina replied her in a gentle but regretful tone.

Juku pulled Shima into a hug as he spoke up. "I get you, Budo taught us everything we know. I- really have no idea what we'd do without him."

Sho exhaled loudly. "Well then, what would Budo say if he saw us moping like this?"

Mina turned to Sho, a light smile forming on her face. "You're right. There's something more to what's been going on at our school. If he were here, he'd want us to stop moping and find out what that is."

* * *

 _"You seriously need to chill for awhile. People are getting suspicious, and like I said, I CAN'T and WON'T be there to cover for you every time you mess up."_

Ayano resisted the urge to fling her phone against the wall. Her hand visibly trembled with rage and anxiety as she clutched it tightly, re-reading the text again before pacing up and down her basement in agitation, in full view of her captives.

"I- I didn't have a choice… I h- had to…" she muttered to herself. "That stupid brat was telling everyone that she saw me! I couldn't let her identify me… I couldn't let her see me again… They mustn't suspect a thing… S- Senpai… mustn't suspect a thing…"

Saki nervously eyed the dagger in Ayano's other hand. Ayano clearly wasn't happy about things not going the way she wanted them too, and she was most certainly going to take it out on them. Saki then tensed up, dreading what was to come as Ayano approached her. Budo was scared for Saki as he observed Ayano silently, knowing that she wasn't all there.

"Find this interesting, don't you?" Ayano's flustered expression changed to a smile as she ran her fingers over the weapon. "We'll have some fun with it…"

*CRUNCH*

Budo couldn't help but cringe at Saki's disturbing, almost heart-breaking scream as Ayano slammed the handle of the dagger into the back of her hand. It was apparent that Saki couldn't take much more of Ayano's torture. At that point, he didn't care what happened to him – he had to divert Ayano's attention away from Saki.

"You're nothing but a coward, Ayano!" He spoke up to provoke her, aware of her current state of mind. "You had a choice, and you make that choice to start what you did. You say you're doing all this for Taro, but he could never love someone like you. You're disgusting!"

Budo immediately found the blade at his throat.

"That mouth of yours, honestly!" Ayano snapped. "You're tired of living already, aren't you?"

Saki let out a gasp. "No… don't… please…"

Budo only shot her a cold glare. "Do you really believe I'm afraid, Ayano?"

Ayano chuckled. "You're right, I'm not letting you off that easily... but don't worry, I would never hurt Senpai…"

"You… little- Argh!"

"Oh, Budo…" Ayano sighed. "Did you think I was just going to let you call me names?"

She watched him squirm as she ran the blade along his forearm all the way down to his wrist, drawing blood that soaked his sleeve where she had cut. In spite of the pain he was in, Budo knew he couldn't let Ayano win. He had to be strong, for himself and for Saki.

Just looking at what Budo was going through made Saki feel as if the dagger was cutting her too, and it was cutting her deep. It was hurting her more than it should, and so much so that it took her attention away from the throbbing pain in her hand. Perhaps she wasn't really thinking straight after enduring Ayano's torture every day, but she even entertained the idea that she'd rather go through more of it herself, instead of having to watch him suffer. It appeared that he had saved her a significant amount of pain this time by taking it himself and she knew she could never thank him enough for it.

Exhaustion was taking over, but she willed herself to stay conscious, afraid of what might happen if she wasn't awake, and so that she could be there for him, especially in his current situation. She needed him to keep her going – that was for certain, and he now needed her too.


	4. Thursday

(I know I tend to have a lot of dialogue in this :S but thanks for all the reviews and follows so far!)

* * *

"Shin? Shin Higaku?"

Shin stopped in his tracks, a little stunned as he saw Mina and Sho waiting for him outside his classroom. "C- Can I help you?"

"You were kind of Oka's vice-president, right?" Sho began. "We were just wondering if you could tell us anything about-"

A look of sadness crossed Shin's face. "I don't want to talk about Oka, alright? She's gone, and I don't even know why. Just- leave me alone."

He tried to push past the two martial artists, but they gently held him back.

"Are you saying that to your knowledge, Oka didn't have any reason to jump at all?" Mina asked.

Shin shook his head. "If she was in trouble, she would have told me. She usually tells me everything. I just wish I knew…"

Sho then gave him a serious look. "Shin, we suspect that Oka wasn't responsible for her own death."

Shin's eyes widened. "Then why are you- Oka was my best friend, I have no reason to-"

"Hey, calm down," Mina said tenderly. "We're not accusing you of anything, we're just trying to confirm our suspicions. Now that you're telling us this, it seems even more likely that she was murdered."

"That makes sense, because I just couldn't understand why she would…" Shin muttered. "She was even interested in this guy, and was preparing to confess to him in the next few weeks or so…"

Sho was a little surprised. "Really? Um, would you happen to know who this guy is?"

"He goes to this school. Oka mentioned him to me quite a number of times. I believe it was… Taro Yamada."

Mina and Sho glanced at one another in shock. Remembering the rumours about the murder involving Kokona and Osana, they were starting to see a pattern.

"Oh, I see. Well, thank you for your time, Shin," Mina ended off. "Sorry to bother you."

Shin nodded and went on his way.

Sho turned to Mina with a big sigh. "So, ready to make a conclusion yet?"

"I don't know, Sho. It all sounds a little crazy."

"Well, people are believing what was said about Osana's death, aren't they?"

"Even if that's true, how is it going to help us find out what actually happened to Budo and Saki?"

"I have this strong feeling that everything's connected somehow, Mina. How else are these things happening one after another? They both had nothing to do with Taro, but neither did Midori, though she was a witness. Isn't it possible that they, like Midori, were somehow dragged into this?"

"We need to find out more, but we can't just wait around for bad things to happen."

"I don't think we have much of a choice there…"

Mina and Sho then saw Juku and Shima coming towards them.

"Hey you two, discovered anything interesting? Because we sure have," Mina told them.

"Nothing much, except that some props have been stolen from the Drama club," Shima replied.

"Props?" Sho asked, a little confused.

"Yeah, like a mask, a pair of gloves… even a wig, I think," Juku added.

Sho turned to Mina. "Didn't another pair of gloves go missing at the start of the week?"

Mina nodded. "Yeah, everyone eventually thought they had just been misplaced, and didn't think much about it."

"Wow Mina, I really don't like where this is going…"

* * *

 _Ayano's eyes were those of a savage, crazed killer as her jarring laughter echoed. In one hand, she held a saw that was dripping with the same blood that stained her face and clothing. Her other hand clutched the hair of Saki's decapitated head, cold… and lifeless…_

 _"Saki… No…"_

"Saki!" Budo gasped, jolting awake.

He took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself as he looked around the basement. Saki was still in the chair next to him, unconscious and slumped over. So, it was just a nightmare. Was he starting to lose it? No, he refused to believe he was. He couldn't…

"Saki? Saki!" He called out to her. Saki was exhausted for sure, and was probably getting some much-needed rest, but he had to reassure himself that she was alright. He needed her to be.

Saki slowly lifted her head, her eyes fluttering open. "Budo… you're- still here… Please… don't leave…"

Budo was relieved to hear her voice, in spite of how weak and shaky she sounded. All he wanted at that moment was to be there for her, and found what she had just implied to be rather unsettling.

"Saki… where would I go?" He replied, tugging at the ropes that were restraining him. He knew that wasn't what she meant, but he felt the need to comfort her somehow, or at least keep her sanity from slipping with some conversation. "I mean- Wait a minute."

His gaze quickly darted to the rope that secured his wrist to the armrest of the chair. It seemed to be giving him a little more allowance for movement than he remembered. As he pulled at it again, he realised that a small, but significant bit of the rope had been cut into. Ayano must have accidentally done it when she was cutting into his arm the night before. He knew she wasn't thinking straight at that time. If he pulled hard enough, he could probably snap the rope and loosen the entire section to get his hand free, but this was going to take quite some time. His open wounds caused him great pain every time he moved, but if there was a way out of this, he'd take it all in.

"Saki… Hey, listen… I think I can get us out of here. I just-"

Budo stopped mid-sentence when he heard Ayano coming down the stairs. He glanced down at the blood-stained rope, thankful that the cut couldn't be seen as long as he didn't pull on it. He wasn't going to take a chance by trying anything while Ayano was around. Ayano was shaking her head in disappointment as she walked in.

"Why does it have to be her, of all people?" She muttered, her eyes on her phone. "And she's pretty… gorgeous… disgustingly gorgeous… Senpai will fall for her for sure!" She then let out a sigh. "She wants to do it tomorrow too… Yup, this has to be done. I can't let her take him from me. So much for laying low… It's alright, I'm well-prepared. Tomorrow will go just fine…"

Ayano pocketed her phone, turning to Budo and Saki with a huge smile on her face. "But for tonight, I still have you two to play with."

She walked up to Saki with a box of sewing pins in her hand. "This is going to be fun…"

Saki trembled in fear, tears running down her face. She didn't have any more energy to scream out loud. "No… why…"

Budo feared too, for Saki's state of mind. He didn't know if she could make it through what Ayano was going to do to her.

"Ayano, no…" Budo's voice wavered as he genuinely pleaded with Ayano, his pride eventually outweighed by his concern for Saki. "I- I don't care what you do to me anymore. Just please, leave Saki alone."

Ayano paused when he said that. She then chuckled. "Oh, does it really hurt that much to watch her suffer? Well then…"

She turned her attention back to Saki. "It's so lovely, this thing the two of you have going on. It's also lovely that I now get to cause you both pain at the same time!"

Budo looked away, clenching his fists in frustration. He could still hear Saki's distressing sobs as Ayano continued to hurt her, and it was almost unbearable.

"I'm so sorry, Saki… Just hang in there. I'll get you out of this… even if it kills me…"


	5. Friday (Part 1)

(Alright peeps! It's a little crazy in this Friday part, so I'm going to split it into two chapters. Enjoy!)

* * *

Budo tossed the loose rope aside and began to pick at the last knot that secured his ankle to the leg of the chair. His head was pounding as he worked tirelessly to get himself free, which he was able to do thanks to Ayano's carelessness. He took a quick glance at Saki, who was watching him intently, and felt a little better.

"I've… almost got it," he assured her. "Just hang on, I'll-"

The both of them then tensed up as they heard footsteps coming down the stairs and shot each other alarmed looks.

"Sh- She's… early," Saki gasped. "How…"

"Hey, calm down. We'll be fine," Budo whispered, taking a deep breath. He did his best to ignore the pain his wounds were causing him as he focused more intensely on the knot, hoping to get it loose before Ayano reached them.

* * *

All students were released from Akademi High early that afternoon after yet another unproductive police investigation, this time on the murder of a student named Sakyu Basu. Juku, Mina and Shima found Sho at the gate. He was comforting the victim's younger sister, Inkyu, who was bawling her eyes out.

"We are so sorry, Inkyu," Mina began sympathetically.

"Yeah, we know you two were really close," Juku added.

Inkyu pulled away from Sho and wiped her eyes. "Thank you, all of you. I- I still can't believe they don't know who did it!"

The group then spotted Taro walk out looking very disturbed.

"Taro, you were still in there?" Mina asked in surprise.

"They held me back a little longer," he replied wearily. "I was the only witness after all."

Inkyu's eyes widened, tears threatening to spill again. "You… saw my sister die?"

A grim look crossed Taro's face. "I'm still not over it - seeing that masked girl just cut into her with that saw. She ran when she saw me, and I chased after her until she picked a chair up and was about to chuck it at me. What I found strange was that after stopped to brace myself for the hit, she just dropped it and sprinted round the corner. That was when I lost her."

The martial arts team took interest in that bit of information, considering what they already knew so far, but they were in for another eye-opener when Inkyu started fumbling in her pockets. She pulled a piece of paper out and handed it to Taro.

"My sister… had feelings for you…" she explained between sobs. "She was going to give this to you this evening, but…"

The team glanced at one another knowingly, finally certain that they could make at least one conclusion with that evidence.

"Wow, I uh… thank you, and I'm really sorry," Taro blurted out as he accepted the note.

"You've been through a lot today, Inkyu," Sho gently said. "You should get some rest."

Mei Mio, another classmate of Inkyu's, then came up to them.

"I'll take her back," she offered. "Come on Inkyu, I'll walk home with you."

"Take care Inkyu!" Shima called out as Inkyu left with Mei. She then sighed. "The poor thing…"

Sho turned to Taro. "I'm not sure how you'll take this Taro, but we think that masked murderer was deliberately trying not to hurt you."

"Excuse me?"

Mina nodded. "We should all take a walk too. This is going to take awhile."

* * *

Ayano had left with most of the other students to avoid suspicion. That meant that she wasn't able to see her Senpai after school, but she was at least relieved that she had gotten rid of Sakyu just in time. She smirked at the thought of surprising her captives with an early return as she made her way down the stairs. However, as she stepped into her basement, she was met with a sudden strike to the face.

She stumbled back, wiping away some blood that ran from her nose, and looked up to see that it was Budo who had hit her.

Ayano was stunned to see that he had escaped. "You! How?!"

Budo took advantage of her shocked state, immediately kicking her into the wall, but she quickly recovered. If he had been at full strength, that first hit would have knocked her unconscious. Ayano knew what she had put him through the last few days had weakened him significantly. She pulled a penknife out of her pocket and attempted to stab him, but he managed to grab her hand. He then whipped around, throwing her over his shoulder and slamming her to the ground in front of him.

Budo scrambled over to Saki with the penknife and started to cut at the ropes that were restraining her, anxiously glancing back at Ayano several times as he did so. He got one of her hands free and handed her the knife just as Ayano picked herself up.

"Get yourself loose, quickly!" He managed to say right before Ayano grabbed him from behind and shoved him to the ground.

Ayano put her fingers around Budo's throat and began to choke him. "I should have killed you when I had the chance!"

"Well… you… missed it!" Budo struggled for awhile before he was able to kick her away. He then lunged at her, tackling her to the floor. "Hurry Saki!"

"I'm… going… as fast as… I can…" Saki gasped, frantically cutting at the ropes.

As Saki was slicing up the last knot however, the blade of the knife snapped clean off and clattered to the floor.

"Saki!" Budo called out to her again, still grappling with Ayano.

Saki froze in panic for a second before she decided to fling the handle aside and pull at the rope to burst the small section of it that was still attached.

Ayano flipped Budo on his back and raised a fist to strike him, but he put up an arm to block it, wincing in pain as her hand made contact with an open wound. Ayano gave a sinister smirk as she noticed that.

"Give it up, you can't last much longer…"

Saki had finally managed to snap the rope and she attempted to stand, but she was weak, and immediately collapsed to the ground. She shakily pushed herself to get back on her feet, which took some time, but she was eventually able to steady herself.

She turned towards the scuffle. "Budo!"

Budo had just flipped Ayano back onto the floor. "Saki! Get out of here!"

"But- I can't just leave-"

"Saki please, go and get help, now!"

Saki reluctantly headed toward the exit. "Promise me… you'll be alright?"

Budo realised he didn't have a choice. "I- I promise…"

Ayano laughed insanely as Saki bolted out the stairs. "How sweet of you to put that much hope in her despite her being in that condition."

Budo could tell Ayano was starting become unstable again. He had nothing to say to her last comment. After all, Saki was his only chance. He had to get out of this alive and keep his promise to her.

* * *

Saki slid a front window open and cautiously climb out before sprinting out the front gate. Initially hyped up on adrenaline, she ran through seemingly desolate streets, looking for somebody… anybody, who could help. Budo had done so much for her, and she left him knowing he was in no condition to take Ayano on. As much as she wanted to go on, she could only do so for so long. Exhaustion was starting to take over, and the abuse that she had taken throughout the week was taking its toll on her.

"No… I can't… I have to…"

Saki's legs gave way and she stumbled, falling to the floor. She tried to push herself further, but could do it no longer. Her head began to spin as her vision clouded…

* * *

The struggle with Ayano was rapidly wearing Budo out, and it didn't help that she kept aiming for his injuries. The pain was getting worse with each hit, and he feared it would eventually immobilise him. Budo usually wasn't one to run from a fight, but in this case, it seemed like the most practical option. Mustering all the strength he could, he threw Ayano into a corner and made his way up the stairs, a limp already visible.

Ayano watched him as she got up, confident that he wouldn't get far. She was seething while she looked around the basement, her gaze finally falling on the broken blade from her penknife that Saki had used to free herself. Ayano picked it up, her insanity preventing her from feeling the sharp edges cut into her own hand as she gripped it tightly. Armed once again, she raced up the stairs after the martial arts master.

"Just… die already!"


	6. Friday (Part 2)

(And thus ends the madness after this chapter! Friday has just been crazy for these guys, phew. A conclusion of sorts would probably be up next!)

* * *

"Is that… Saki! Saki! Oh no! Where have you been? What happened to you?"

Saki could faintly hear running footsteps approach her from a distance followed by some scrambling as they surrounded her.

"She's in pretty bad shape."

Saki then felt a hand on her forehead.

"She's burning up!"

"Here, give her this."

The open mouth of a bottle was pressed against her lips, and she welcomed the cool, refreshing water as it flowed into her mouth and down her parched throat. Forcing her eyes open, she could make Taro and the Martial Arts team out through her blurred vision. Relieved to see her schoolmates, she immediately reached out and grabbed the nearest person's arm, which happened to be Shima's.

"Y- You need… to find Ayano…" Saki began weakly, letting out a couple of coughs. "Budo… is with her… Please, you have… to help him…"

"What?!" The martial artists grew anxious hearing their leader's name, but knowing he might still be alive filled them with hope.

"Ayano? Ayano Aishi?" Mina asked in disbelief. "She's in my class!"

"She's been… committing murders at… our school," Saki continued. "She's obsessed with you… Taro…"

"Wow, you all were actually serious about that?!" Taro exclaimed, wide-eyed.

"We wouldn't have walked home with you just to tell you all that if we weren't, you-" Mina stopped, keeping that insult to herself and groaning in frustration instead. "Where are they, Saki?"

"At her home… Budo held her back… so I could escape. You need to stop her… please, I don't know how long… he can…"

Sho urgently turned to Mina. "Mina, we need to get over there, now!"

"I usually see Ayano cycling past me on the way to school. She lives just down the street," Taro offered. "I can take you there."

Shima looked at Saki in concern before glancing up at Juku. "Call the ambulance."

"You all go ahead," Juku said to the rest before pulling his phone out. "Shima and I will look after Saki."

"Please be careful," Shima piped up.

Taro, Mina and Sho readily agreed and sped off.

* * *

Budo made it out of the basement, only to narrowly dodge Ayano's blade as she charged at him from behind. Unable to outrun her any longer, he continued to evade her attacks, though he knew he could keep it up only for so much more. He was starting to get light-headed, and fatigue was hitting him hard. The scrimmage was taken all the way to the living room, with furniture and ornaments getting knocked over and broken in the process.

He gasped in pain when she got him in the shoulder with the blade, and stumbled back clutching the wound. Ayano laughed as she approached Budo, raising her blade once again. He managed to take hold of her wrist, but his grip was already weak. She twisted out of it and stepped behind him, driving her knee into his spine. He collapsed to the floor.

"You're dead!" She hissed as she leapt at him, attacking him with the blade.

Budo rolled over and flinched at the impact of her forearms slamming into his own as he stopped the blade, with its tip just inches from his face. He strained to keep it away, struggling against Ayano who was pressing down on it.

"Give… it… up…"

Budo's strength was failing, and the pain that was shooting through his body was getting more intense by the second. Ayano was winning, slowly but surely. As hard as he was fighting, the blade just kept getting closer. He could feel his consciousness slipping, and everything began fading to black…

* * *

Taro and the two martial artists reached Ayano's gate, panicking slightly at the signs of struggle that they heard coming from inside the house.

Taro fumbled for his phone. "I'm calling the police."

"Alright, we're going in," replied Mina.

She bolted through the gate and expertly crept in an open window, Sho close behind her. They swiftly sneaked through a corridor, following the sounds they heard from the outside, only to run into an alarming sight in the middle of a wreck of a living room. Seeing a badly-wounded Budo on the ground about to get stabbed, their first instinct was to run over to stop the insane girl.

Ayano's head snapped up at their footsteps. She was shocked to see them, but reacted quickly. She yanked Budo, who barely conscious, off of the floor, pressing the blade against his throat. She could have easily killed him there and then, but she had to give the martial artists a reason to stay away to buy time for herself. Mina and Sho immediately skidded to a stop, just some feet away from where she was crouched.

"Come any closer… and you know what will happen," Ayano threatened.

The both of them froze in place, fearing for Budo's life. The apparent psychopath of a schoolgirl definitely meant what she said – one could tell from that savage look in her eyes. She was even twitching slightly, and some of the blood that ran from her hand gripping the sharp blade was probably her own, though she seemed oblivious to it.

"Now… step back… the both of you," she demanded. "Get back!"

Mina and Sho glanced at each other, knowing they didn't have much of a choice at that point. They reluctantly stepped away from her. Mina contemplated saying something to calm her classmate down, but one wrong word and the consequences would be fatal. Ayano to her, had always seemed like a gentle girl with a mild personality. Who would have thought that she'd secretly have an obsession with someone so deep it would actually drive her to kill?

Mina's thoughts were interrupted by a chime that came from Ayano's pocket. Keeping the blade steady, Ayano reached for her phone with her other hand to check the text. It was another one from Info-Chan.

 _"Get out of there, now! Your precious Senpai just called the cops on you."_

Ayano dropped the phone, horrified. "N-No… Senpai knows… He knows what I've done…"

Mina and Sho stiffened, afraid of what she might do next. Ayano started trembling more violently. Her Senpai meant everything to her. How could she go on? How could she ever face him again? She couldn't, and had become way too upset to deal with the current situation. Info-Chan was right – she had to get out, and far away from everything. Though, a small part of her still hung on to the idea of Taro being hers. She refused to accept that she might lose him. She couldn't accept it.

The martial artists were not going to move as long as she was holding their leader at knifepoint. She was preparing herself to make a dash for the back door since they were quite some distance away, hoping she could escape before they caught her.

"Ayano!"

Ayano whipped her head around, stunned to see that someone else had entered using that back door.

"No… Senpai…"

"Taro?!" Mina gasped, spotting him come through an opposite entrance.

"What are you doing?" Sho anxiously mouthed to him, aware that Budo's life was still in danger.

Knowing that Ayano was crazy about him, Taro had gone in hoping he could convince her to stop what she was doing, but he didn't expect that she would have already known the truth.

"Ayano… look, I'm here… alright? I'm here for you. Just… put the weapon down, please…"

Ayano shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "Y- You already know what I'm like. I just… wanted you to love me!"

"And I can. I know you're like this because of me. Come on, put that down, and let's get out of here."

Ayano's phone chimed again from the floor. It was most likely another reminder for her to hurry up and leave.

Her expression hardened. "You- liar!"

Mina and Sho cringed as she pressed the blade harder against their leader's throat. They could tell he was still breathing, but whether or not he would continue to do so was unfortunately up to Ayano.

"You don't love me! If you did you wouldn't have called the police!" A cruel smirk then formed on her face. "But it doesn't matter… If they catch me here, you still won't be saving anyone…"

Taro grew exasperated. He stepped aside, gesturing to the back door. "Fine then, go! I won't stop you, none of us here will. Just drop the knife and get out of here, please!"

Ayano looked down at the unconscious martial artist she was holding at knifepoint before gazing up at Taro again. "You're not doing this for me… but for him. Oh Taro… Senpai… I wish you would care about me as much as you care about others…"

Taro was shaking with both fear and anger. How dare she? How dare she feel entitled to speak to him that way even as she was doing what she was? "I couldn't even if I tried, you vile, disgusting little…"

Ayano's gaze turned into a vicious glare.

"Stop making it worse, Taro…" Mina muttered through her teeth.

To everyone's surprise, Ayano suddenly started chuckling. This chuckling then gradually escalated into full-fledged maniacal laughter. "Oh, Senpai… if you'll never be mine…"

Mina and Sho's eyes widened as they foresaw what was to come.

"Oh no…"

"Taro, run!"

"Nobody else can have you!" Ayano yelled, springing up from the ground towards him, the blade still in her hand.

Taro gasped before spinning on his heel and running for his life with Ayano close behind him. With Budo no longer in danger, Mina and Sho quickly raced after them, hoping to stop her in time. Ayano chased Taro out the back door into the rear garden. Taro was alarmed, realising he was cornered. He backed into a bush as she rapidly got closer. Ayano reached him before Mina and Sho could catch up to her, and raised her blade…

*STAB*

Both martial artists stopped in horror as blood splattered everywhere. Ayano's arm fell limp by her side. She released the blade, letting it hit the ground… and she followed after, collapsing onto the grass with the blades of a small pair of pruning shears lodged into her eye socket.

Taro slowly slid to the ground, trembling. He was visibly traumatised as he eyed Ayano's lifeless body. "No… W- What have I done…"

Recovering from his state of shock, Sho ran over to comfort him. "You didn't mean to. We know, we saw what happened. We can vouch for you."

Mina nodded when Taro met her gaze. She then left him with Sho and ran back in to check on Budo. She put his arm over her shoulder, gently picking him off of the floor.

"Budo? Hey… speak to me. Please be alright."

His eyes were still shut, but he managed to say something. "S- Saki?"

Mina was a little confused, but very relieved. "Budo, it's Mina."

"Where's Saki…"

"She's in good hands, don't worry. She's the one who told us where you were."

"I… need to see her…"

Police sirens could then be heard coming from outside the house.

"Oh, I promise you will, very soon," Mina assured him, her face breaking into a grin. "But for now, let's get you some help."


	7. Weekend

(And... we're done! A big thank you to everyone who's been following this, and please enjoy the cheesiness of this last chapter!)

* * *

Budo woke up in a bed, immediately having to shield his eyes as they adjusted to the bright lights. He was clearly in a hospital ward. Staring up at the ceiling, he tried to recall the events that had taken place before he ended up there. The last thing he could remember was fighting with Ayano. Everything after that was a blur. His wounds had been treated, but they still stung as he clumsily sat up and looked around the ward. He then breathed a deep sigh of relief when his gaze fell on a sleeping Saki in the bed next to him. So, they both made it. He couldn't help but slide out of his own bed just to sit by her side. She looked so peaceful, and watching her was really relaxing, especially while thinking of everything they had gone through the past week. He reached over, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face.

Saki awoke to a gentle touch on her face. Opening her eyes, she was elated to see that it was of the person who had last been on her mind. He put his life on the line for her, and she had no idea what it would have been like if he hadn't made it. Seeing him put her at ease, knowing that help came for the both of them in time. It would be difficult to forget the ordeal they were put through, but what mattered now was that they were both safe.

Budo quickly withdrew his hand as Saki stirred awake. She just giggled. He awkwardly turned away, realising that she had caught him, but not knowing what she was going to say next. To his surprise, she suddenly bolted up, wrapping her arms around him.

"I'm… so glad you're okay…" she whispered.

He stiffened, stunned for a moment, before returning the embrace. "I'm glad you're alright too…"

* * *

"Kokona…"

Taro was about to enter the ward when running into his classmate, whom he last seen on Monday, made him stop in his tracks.

Kokona addressed him back with a small smile. "Taro."

Remembering what had taken place at the beginning of the week, Taro let out a guilty sigh. "Listen Kokona, I'm so sorry for what I said. I just accused you-"

"Oh, forget it," Kokona stopped him, a look of sympathy crossing her face. "You were really hurt. I'm so sorry about Osana."

"Thank you," Taro replied. He then looked at Kokona with curiosity, the rumours about her suddenly coming to mind. "Say… Kokona, I hope you don't mind me bringing this up. When everyone at school still thought that you were the one responsible for Osana's death, people were saying that you did it over… well, me… I was just wondering if-"

Kokona scoffed playfully. "Taro! That's not how you ask someone out."

Taro's eyes widened. "So… it's true then? The part about you being interested in me, I mean…"

She smirked at him. "Well, do you want it to be?"

Taro let out a laugh before smiling. "Will you go out with me, Kokona?"

"I would like that very much, Taro."

The both of them shared a joyful hug before Taro spoke up. "Well then, shall we go see how our friends are doing?"

"Hmm, I don't know if we should intrude on err…" Kokona began, peering into the ward. "Seriously, look at this, Taro."

Taro hid beside the entrance and looked in, gasping in astonishment as he spotted Budo and Saki cuddling with each other. "Okay… what is the world is going on?"

Kokona turned to Taro. "Do you think they're…"

"No way!" Taro glanced back at her in disbelief. "I mean, I don't really know about Saki, but Budo's one true love is martial arts!"

Kokona chuckled at that statement before looking in the direction from where some chatter was coming. "Speaking of martial arts, look who's here."

She waved to the martial arts team as they walked up.

"Why are you standing out here?" Asked Juku.

Taro put a finger to his lips and beckoned them over to look into the ward before whispering. "You guys have to see this…"

* * *

"Your injuries, don't they hurt?" Budo asked in concern as they were in each other's arms.

"Every time I move," Saki sighed. She then gently caressed the side of his face. "But they're nothing compared to what we went through. Having you with me made it more bearable then, and it's the same right now."

He gazed at her, reaching up and running his fingers through her hair. "Saki…"

The both of them slowly leaned forward, their lips just about to touch when Budo suddenly stopped and pulled back a little.

"I know you all are out there!" He called out.

Laughter and playful groans came from the group of six as they trudged in.

"Kokona!"

"Saki!"

Saki slipped away from Budo to hug her best friend. "I know Ayano got you arrested. I'm so glad they already let you out!"

"Well, I have all of you here to thank for that," replied Kokona happily.

"You seem to be better already," Mina observed, turning to Budo. "You were barely alive when we found you yesterday."

"Oh right, about that," Budo began. "What even happened? And what's going on with Ayano?"

The rest of the group shot one another regretful looks.

"Ayano's… dead," Shima answered, her eyes downcast.

Budo and Saki glanced at each other in shock. "What?!"

Sho put a comforting hand on Taro's shoulder. "We found you just in time. Taro managed to divert her attention away from you. She was about to kill him, and well… he had to do it first."

Taro appeared slightly uncomfortable as Budo gaped at him in amazement. Observing this, Kokona decided to speak up.

"Well Budo, do you know what's equally surprising? Catching you snuggling with my best friend the moment I looked in. Alright you two, spill it. What's going on here?"

Budo turned to Saki with a contented sigh. "Let's just say… Ayano did at least one thing right."

Saki spotted Kokona raising an eyebrow and chuckled. "Don't worry, Kokona. If he could get me out of that basement alive, I'm sure he can at least treat me right."

Taro burst out laughing at that. "Saki, you're talking about a guy who flung the last girl he was dating over his shoulder, thinking he was being attacked after she gave him a surprise hug from behind."

Laughter erupted from the rest of the group as Budo rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Taro look, I've had a rough week. The least you could do is to not sabotage my love life."

"Your love life?" Mina wondered if all that time in the basement had done something to Budo's head. "Wow, I'm pretty sure no one in the club has ever heard you be this open."

Budo looked over his martial arts team, turning serious. "You all are more than just a club to me. You are awesome friends and the best team I could ever ask for. You guys… saved my life, and Saki's. That includes you, Taro. I know it must have been pretty traumatic for you, but you did what you had to do."

"I just… don't know what to say," answered Taro. "I mean, discovering that the both of you were being held captive the whole time by some psycho girl who was obsessed with me…"

"What can you say?" Kokona piped up. "You can't help that you're just way too charming."

That sparked another round of laughter from the group right before two more familiar faces came in.

"Inkyu! Shin!" Sho greeted as he waved to them.

"Hey everyone!" Inkyu chirped. "Budo! Saki! You two are okay!"

"Nice to see you, Inkyu," replied Saki. "You too, Shin."

Shin looked around at the group. "I just want to thank you all… for finding out what really happened. It really helped me find closure to Oka's death."

"It did the same for me too. At least I now know who killed my sister," Inkyu added.

"Sorry we couldn't save them in time," said Sho. "Glad you both are feeling better, though."

Shima gave a satisfied smile. "Well, it looks like we've finally closed the case, doesn't it?"

Mina shook her head grimly. "Don't be too happy yet. Ayano's accomplice is still out there."

Sho turned to her. "Oh right! The text messages!"

Budo nodded in agreement, remember a significant bit of information as they said that. "Ayano definitely wasn't working alone. I recall someone else stabbing me in the neck from behind after I first witnessed her commit murder. That was right before I blacked out."

"But why would anyone help Ayano?" Juku pondered. "I do hope they find out who it is. I would love to know their motive for doing so."

* * *

Unknown to the group, they were discreetly being watched by gleaming eyes from behind a pair of reflective spectacles.

 _Too bad you never will, my dear. Neither will any of your friends… Not even the police will find out who I am, because I'm always two steps ahead of everyone else. That's it, enjoy this little victory of yours while you can. I'll be keeping my eye on you lot._

 _Oh Ayano… what a tragedy – to die at the hands of the one you practically lived for… Well, at least one of us got what she wanted. I guess I should thank you for getting rid of Osana and the other girls. As for the gang right here, I'll make sure that they won't be celebrating for long…_


End file.
